X Factor winner Matt Terry has opened up about the lasting impact of his time on the ITV talent show, revealing he needed two years of therapy to process what he describes as the “trauma” of the experience.
The 2016 champion made the candid admission in an interview with GB News while promoting a new West End musical in which he is starring.
World’s Greatest Lover, a new pop-rock musical, is making its London premiere at The Other Palace in April.
Following award-winning runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and in New York, the show presents a "boyband-style" showdown between history's most iconic romantics.
Mr Terry told GB News "so much good" came from The X Factor, as he has been able to "be a creative for the last decade, probably, from winning the show".
Although, he added: "These people are making millions off your poor mental health that they have caused, which is not okay...
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Matt Terry opened up about his time on the X Factor
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“I’m two years deep in therapy to be able to understand myself and go about this world the best way that I can… to understand what I truly went through,” he said.
The Skittles singer, who came out as gay in 2024, has previously revealed he was pressured to "tone down" his image, with producers telling him he looked "too gay" for live shows.
He described feeling "shocked" and unsupported, forcing him to hide his sexuality to maintain a specific, marketable image.
Mr Terry suggested contestants can be placed in vulnerable situations, particularly those with limited financial means, recalling: “I had £4 in my bank account when I entered the show… what else am I going to do? I’m going to say yes to everything.”
The singer is worried for others who went through a similar experience
|While the singer said he is now in a better place mentally, he warned others may not have been as fortunate in their recovery.
“I’ve landed on my feet… but there are still plenty of people… that still suffer today from that experience. And there needs to be some accountability,” he said.
He also criticised the wider culture of reality television, claiming: “These people are making millions off your poor mental health that they have caused, which is not okay… it’s an abuse of power in my opinion.”
Fellow X Factor winner Dalton Harris also opened up to GB News about his mental health following his X Factor win in 2018.
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Matt Terry has previously shared how he was told he looked "too gay" by producers
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“It’s a lot of therapy that gets you to a place where you can speak about this…
“You have to go home and hide yourself for a while, to numb yourself. It’s not an easy experience,” Mr Harris said.
He added “there are so many different dynamics to how trauma is created, but it is indeed created”.
However, Jamie Hensley, who rose to fame as part of boyband Union J in the ninth series of the ITV talent show, stressed not all contestants share the same experience.
“I had a positive experience. That’s my truth,” he said.
He continued: "I knew what I was signing up for. No one asked me to go for it. I chose to do it.”
When Mr Terry and Mr Harris pushed back on his comments, Mr Hensley doubled down, saying: “Did it go exactly the way I wanted it to? No. But the alternative for me would have been worse.”
Simon Cowell will appear in the new X Factor documentary
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In January 2026, Sky confirmed it had commissioned a “premium, definitive” documentary series exploring the rise and fall of the iconic talent show, The X Factor.
Mr Cowell has signed on to contribute to the documentary, which is considered a major coup as he was the central figure of the franchise.
Mr Terry said: “Some accountability… (from Simon Cowell) would be lovely" to see in the documentary.
GB News have contacted ITV for comment.
In World’s Greatest Lover, running at The Other Palace from April 12 to June 7, 2026, Mr Terry takes on the role of Cyrano de Bergerac, while Mr Hensley plays the Marquis de Sade.
They appear alongside Dalton Harris as Val and Joaquin Pedro Valdes as Romeo in the high-energy pop-rock musical.
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